


The Chosen One (Let This be My Legacy)

by crazyinfj



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Angst, F/M, Force Visions (Star Wars), Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Jedi Council - Freeform, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, References to Order 66 and Mustafar, They really need to hug each other, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29124834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazyinfj/pseuds/crazyinfj
Summary: Instead of dreams of Padme dying, Anakin gets something far worse. Force Visions of the future, of the Jedi legacy wiped away, where he duels his brother.Of course, force visions are a path thatcouldhappen, if that’s the path he takes. Will this be his fate?Febuwhump Prompt #5: Take Me Instead
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Jedi Council, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135274
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	The Chosen One (Let This be My Legacy)

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so sorry

_The Chosen One._

The title haunted Anakin, and despite the power he was rumoured to have, he felt utterly powerless, unskilled, and unworthy of the title. 

He was a lost child, an orphan, pretending to be a good, righteous Jedi. Everytime he hopped into his Twilight, he selfishly thought of all that he would lose in yet another battle. On a never ending mission of peace (and didn’t that sound like a myth), he felt like a k’lor’slug in dejarik. Limited in his ability, he could only make certain movements. As _the Chosen One_ was he doing all he could to save the galaxy?

If anyone should be the “Chosen One,” it should be Obi-Wan Kenobi. The picture of the perfect Jedi. After a thousand years, he was the first to defeat a Sith _still as a padawan_.Skilled in both defensive and offensive lightsaber tactics, he was one of the only who could successfully, offensively, fight Grievous. A jedi who put his life on the line everyday, a jedi who practiced non-attachment as if it was in his very blood, a perfect jedi. 

Maybe that was why Anakin couldn’t go to him. Because if he told him what his dreams showed him, he’d be even lesser compared to Obi-Wan. Anakin knew he was lesser, the entire council did, but if Obi-Wan confirmed that to his face, he didn’t know if he’d ever recover. 

So as much he loved sneaking back to Padme late nights in Coruscant, there was another reason he was leaving the Jedi Temple. He was running from his attachment, he was running from his dreams, he was running from Obi-Wan. 

—

“How did you get past Obi-Wan this time?” Padme greeted him with a soft smile, always ready to listen to his rather crazy excuses that he told Obi-Wan. 

“The Jedi aren’t celibate you know.”

“You didn’t actually say that to him, did you?” Anakin could tell it was only years of experience that kept Padme from gaping at him. 

“It kept him silent long enough for me to leave.”

“Anakin, you’re gonna be the death of me.”

“Don’t say that.”

Padme gave him a confused look. “Why?”

“Because I have that power! I never want to hurt you-but if I did-”

“Look at your hands Anakin.” Padme gently ran her hand across his face, bringing his eyes down his hands on her waist, holding her gently. “You could never hurt me, or our baby.”

Anakin let himself relax against her touch and wrapped himself around her force signature. He had tried to describe it to her once, but he couldn’t. She was a nebula, bright purple, the color of royalty, bright and gaseous, burning for the rights of all life forms. An anchor, whenever he reached out to her, her force pulled Anakin down to the reality. He couldn’t yet identify the force signature of their baby, but he felt the tentative golden orb, beginning to bleed into the force. They were two out of the three anchors of light in the dark mind of Anakin Skywalker.

“What’s on your mind Ani?”

“What?” Anakin shook himself back to the present, where Padme was examining him under her scrutinizing eyes.

“I can’t read minds, but something’s different with you.”

“Force visions. I’m trying to..decipher them.”

“Ahh. Have you consulted Obi-Wan? Master Yoda?”

“Not yet.”

“Maybe you just need sleep. That’s what helped Ahsoka.”

Anakin forgot that Padme had close up knowledge of force visions. He had almost forgotten that those same vision’s saved his wife’s life. Maybe someone else was getting similar force visions? To save his life?

\--

“Master! Liar!”

Anakin woke up in a cold sweat. The room, dim but not dark, was illuminated by the Coruscant city skyline. Windows left open, Anakin knew that the force vision was becoming clearer, judging by the breeze washing the room in cool air. He didn’t feel it at all. Rather, he felt as if his limbs were _burning_. 

Crawling from the bed, he was relieved to feel the cool tiles against his feet. On the terrace, he reveled in the cool air of night, watching as the occasional speeder would zoom by. Wondering if he would get to enjoy this in the future, or if the scalding of lava would be the memory etched into his mind, forevermore. 

“Anakin, please tell me what’s been haunting you.” Padme approached him, and casually grabbed his robotic arm, laying it behind her neck. 

“I can’t Padme.” Even venturing onto the topic scared Anakin more than he cared to admit. He tethered the tightrope between light and dark, so carefully, and any moment, he would fall. But not onto the right side. And there would be his legacy. Pain and suffering to everyone he’s ever loved. 

“Anakin, you’ve been bothered by something _for days_. It’s okay to tell me what it is. I won’t judge. I just want to listen, to help you.”

“I know.” Anakin struggled for the words. “But, it’s dark, darker than anything I’ve ever seen.”

“I can handle the dark Ani.” She seemed to almost be pleading with him. “Please honey, don’t hide from me.” 

Not daring to look at her face, he began. 

“I see fire. It’s raging, burning, the temple up in embers. All of them - the younglings, knights, the council. The order is dead. The clones are, they were nothing but - pawns.”

“And I’m _right_ there. Watching. _Doing nothing_. I’m the chosen one! I’m supposed to protect them! Why am I not doing anything? Why am I not saving the Jedi?” 

By this point, Anakin knows his face is covered in tears. He can tell by his heaving that he’s been shouting. But all he feels is the release of the prophecy. Someone else knows. That means it’s not going to happen, right?

Holding him close, he feels Padme’s heartbeat. It’s an anchor, keeping him from drowning. “Anakin. You shouldn’t carry this all on your shoulders. You need to share this with the Council.” Padme seemed to struggle over her words. “You’re the chosen one, and right now, you might hold the future of the Jedi in your hands. But please, don’t do this alone.”

“I can’t tell them. I can’t Padme.”

“Why? Anakin, you’re putting those you love in danger by keeping them in the dark.”

“There’s more.” 

“More?” Padme echos, and he can sense the fear in her voice. He hates it, but he has to be honest. 

“I kill Obi-Wan.” 

Suddenly, Padme’s face is filled with fear. For both her husband and for her dear friend. He knows she will not choose a side. 

“He’s trying to protect you...from _me_ and then, lava, burning. Everywhere. Padme, it burns!” Anakin can feel the blisters on his skin, he subconsciously reaches to itch his flesh arm. He’s never relived his vision while awake, and now that he is, he realizes it's so much _worse._

And suddenly, he has clarity why he’s burning. A flash of a robe. A force jump. A distorted angle, and suddenly, he and Obi-Wan are surrounded by lava, lightsabers clashing. Heat is radiating from him, he can’t tell anymore if this is the vision or if this is reality. Suddenly, both are blending together. 

“Balance!…bring balance...” He hears himself mumble, but he can’t tell anymore. He’s trapped in a sub world, between reality and his future. The force he realizes, is enveloping him. He's trapped around heat, and all he hears is the hum of Obi-Wan’s saber slashing through the air. The sound doesn’t relax him like it should. Instead, it terrifies him. 

“You were my brother. I loved you!”

The hold the Force had on him is gone, and without that suspension, he falls on his knees, and all he sees is the face of Darth Sidious. He blinks, and there is Palpatine in the Sith’s face. 

_Let go_ the Force hums. Anakin holds on. It’s all he’s ever known. Light and dark. He’s tethering a fine, fraying line. 

\--

Anakin has no idea how much time has passed, but when he comes to, he is met by the face of his worried wife. 

“Anakin!” 

She’s holding salts to his nose, but he can’t smell them. All he smells is smoke, distinctly, and tastes the burn of blood in his mouth. 

“Palpatine.”

“We can talk to him tomorrow,” She doesn’t get it. Doesn’t she see it?

“He’s the Sith!” Anakin blurts, and suddenly, the force comes back to him, and at the speed of hyperspace, displays the clues of the chancellor being evil. 

“Anakin, you need to calm down.” Padme’s tone is not matched by her eyes, which hold a worried expression. Why couldn’t she see it? Everything matched up!

“I-I need to go. Keep Obi-Wan safe…”

A hand is on his belt, and he can’t move because Padme is not letting him. He fights it, he fights her, because he needs to save her. He can’t be the reason she dies. He can’t be the reason Obi-Wan dies. 

“Look at me. We’re going to the Jedi Council. You’re going to tell them what you see. And then, we’ll address it.” Padme’s voice is now the same as she uses in the senate, with no room for arguing. 

“I can’t go. I can’t hurt Obi-Wan like this!”

“If you don’t do this, you will never be able to see Obi-Wan again, because he won’t be here.”

There’s another vision, but this time, it's much quieter. But it’s also much more heavy, more emotionally laden. It’s not framed where the black slowly morphs into each frame, but rather, its edged with light, the two suns that Anakin spent his childhood waking up under. 

Obi-Wan’s back on Tatooine. He’s watching a boy play from a distance. 

“Uncle Ben!” 

The boy is shouting for Obi-Wan, but he’s not Obi-Wan anymore. He’s Ben. And he has no lightsaber on his belt. His face is lined with wrinkles. 

“Padme. I don’t kill Obi-Wan.” Anakin feels like he’s about to throw up when he realizes what the vision means. “I destroy everything, exile the name Obi-Wan. I take _everything_ from him, except his life. That is far worse than killing him, I _torture_ him.” And yet, the light still surrounds him. Where was the light side for Anakin? 

“What have I done?” He looks at his hands, no longer trying to fight, too exhausted to even attempt a getaway. He’s powerless against his visions, and even if Padme can’t see them, he knows how real they are. 

“Nothing. And nothing is going to happen because the visions didn’t account for me knowing.” 

—

Padme and him are in front of the Jedi Council. It’s three in the morning and Mace looks ready to kill someone, holding his tea and wearing a fluffy bathrobe. Only he could manage to be intimidating in such a situation. 

“Is there a reason we’re all gathered here? And why are you with Senator Amidala?”

Oh, right. They hadn’t quite thought this through. Padme shot him a knowing glance and then bowed her head to the council. At least, if they came clean, they wouldn’t have to call _another_ council meeting. 

“Master Skywalker and I eloped in Naboo. Tonight, we were together. However, there are more pressing matters we came to speak about.”

There was no uproar, like Anakin expected. Obi-Wan barely blinked, a flicker of hurt before a solemn, more guarded look rested on his face. Mace looked disappointed, but not surprised. The rest of the council, who knew Anakin less, exchanged surprised glances. 

“Bigger news than this you have?” Yoda looked at Anakin, almost challenging him. 

“I…” Anakin felt like the small nine year old boy standing in front of the council for the first time, all eyes on him, seeing if he was truly the _Chosen One_. 

“...I’ve been having visions.” Anakin glanced at his seat where he had sat at the last council meeting. He thanked every Jedi in the room that he had not been allowed to sit in that chair. He didn’t deserve it. 

“I see the Jedi temple in flames.” A force palpitation, and Anakin knew the force was surrounding the room in the ambience of his dreams. He selfishly was thankful. Maybe they could help him shoulder the weight. “The clones are pawns of Darth Sidious, they destroy the order from the inside.”

A shiver went around the room and Anakin opened his eyes to see Shaak Ti reaching for him. He felt her wrap around his force signature, only to sharply draw back, as if she had been burnt. 

“You _burn_ Skywalker. You have lava surrounding you.” 

“Is there more?” Yoda asked, as if sensing Anakin was not yet finished. Gaining strength from Padme’s encouraging look, Anakin leveled his face to the Masters. 

“I saw the face of Darth Sidious.” Anakin felt the weight drop upon him, causing his shoulders to slump, and his head bow. He had trusted the wrong man. He was the singular man who was bringing the end to the entire Jedi order. “It was Chancellor Palpatine.”

The faces of the council all stared at him in disbelief and then turned to each other. “We were right to suspect him. Now we must apprehend him.” Mace turned to Yoda, already reaching for his saber. Master Mundi’s voice stopped him. 

“I sense something else. Skywalker, you’re tangled in someone’s else force signature.” Mundi met Anakin’s eyes. “You’re _destroying_ their force signature.”

Padme gasped, not fully understanding the force signatures, but smart enough to know what Mundi saw, given her knowledge of what Anakin had seen. With a gulp, Anakin spun so the entire council could see him, meeting the eyes of every Master but his own. 

Then he fell on his knees, in front of Obi-Wan’s chair, not daring to look at him. 

“I’m sorry Master, I can’t look at you and not see my legacy.” Anakin gulped, he would rather _die_ than confirm the fate that he sees. “I destroy the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi. I break the soul of the best man I ever knew.”

Anakin can feel the force bond between them screaming, but he doesn’t need to look up to know that Obi-Wan’s face is carefully neutral. He feels the familiar bright yellow force signature of Obi-Wan reaching out to him, begging him to look up, to say that he’s wrong. But Anakin can’t, so he doesn’t move. Anakin can feel the bridges he spent years building, up in flames. _Forgive me Master._

There’s a silence in the room, then Obi-Wan clears his throat, a bit of desperation soaking his voice, a bit of youth that sometimes, Anakin forgets is still very much a part of Obi-Wan. “We must ensure this doesn't come to pass.” 

The council doesn’t move, and Anakin wishes they would, he wishes they would yell at him for being the worst Jedi in history, for bringing upon the end. But all he feels is their eyes on him, so standing up, he keeps his glance slightly above their heads, not daring to see the disappointment. If his last moments are these, he will face them as the Jedi Obi-Wan taught him to be.

“How do we fix this, Anakin?”

Suddenly, he’s pulled into the black currents again. Tainted with black, bleeding edges. No please, he’s done enough harm, please don’t make him in charge. Then the fall will be completely his fault, he will have knowingly brought down the order, the people he loved. 

“I can’t....fight Palpatine.” _I am too weak to fight the call. I will fall to the dark. I will kill all those I love. Don’t make me do this. I will die a dishonest Jedi, I will suffer the fate I deserve, but I will not kill my brethren._

“Master Yoda and I will face Palpatine.” Mace returns, decisively, and Anakin is suddenly thankful for Mace’s domineering personality, it’s grounding, it leaves no room for Anakin to fight. And he’s been fighting this for so long, he just wants to let go.

But there’s a greater question that hangs in the air. _What of you and Master Kenobi, what will you do?_ And that’s a decision that Mace cannot make, and Anakin doesn’t want to make. 

Anakin can feel Obi-Wan sending him reassurance through their bond, but he feels something darker within it. He can’t quite reach for his Master like in times past. With a start, Anakin realizes Obi-Wan has curled his force signature in a ball. Guarding himself, comforting himself, as if to salvage what he still has. “I will fill the needed position in Ryloth, hopefully, by the time I get there, to help with post war affiliations. Without my constant presence, I hope to avoid whatever future has been seen.”

“You can run, but it will solve nothing. Perhaps the only way to salvage this is for you and Skywalker to-”

“No.”

“What?”

“I will not be doing missions with Master Kenobi.” _It puts him in too much danger._

Anakin feels Obi-Wan through the force pull back on any remaining bond connections, just like Shaak Ti, as if he were burnt. He feels himself flinch. But he’s protecting Obi-Wan, right?

“Talk, perhaps?” Master Koon finishes his suggestion, and Anakin wants to avoid facing his master at all costs. 

“Do you think that is wise?” Anakin instead counters, and he can feel Obi-Wan slipping, the force bond cracking. 

“Master Kenobi is a highly skilled Jedi, and within the walls of the temple, I do not foresee any danger.”

Mace then interjects. “We both know that the names Kenobi and Skywalker have become synonymous. Almost a dyadic force. To watch it break would cause a tremor in the force, and within the Jedi ranks. To split a bond is to split one soul into two.” 

Anakin felt his own determination lessening. His force bond, he knew, was dangerous, but for Jedi, the bond between Master and Padawan, even if not their titles anymore, was the most important relationship. And the thing was, he _wanted_ to see the reassuring face of his Master, to see him safe and well, to say goodbye one last time. But he feared his own power, and he knew the pull to the Dark Side was strong. So much so he wasn’t sure if he could control it. But he could at least say goodbye? He would not break Obi-Wan Kenobi because of his actions. He would allow Obi-Wan the closure of saying goodbye, and then, Anakin would sever the bond, and in time, their souls would become full again. This was the way of the least suffering. But, was he strong enough to not hurt Obi-Wan, to shield his master from the shadows that surrounded him?

“One of you must observe us. Stay with us. If I do anything, subdue me, kill me if you must.” Anakin met the eyes of a shocked Kit Fisto and nodded. “I will _not_ bring about the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

\--

There's silence as they walk down the hall. Kit Fisto is trailing them, at a distance, far enough that he cannot hear them. But it’s not necessary, as neither of them speak. Anakin can feel when Obi-Wan opens his mouth, but his master doesn’t yell. Anakin almost wishes he would. After a pause, he speaks.

“You felt you couldn’t tell me.” 

And Anakin really wanted to breeze past that. Obi Wan seemed fixated on the fact. Anakin just wants to feel safe again, and no longer can he reach Obi-Wan for that. 

“I suppose that is a reflection of my failings as a teacher. Forgive me Anakin, I should have never encouraged you to spy on Palpatine.”

Obi wan was internalizing it, of course. Because that’s what Obi-Wan did. He watched, he learned, and he suffered. Couldn’t he see that for once, Anakin was trying to protect him from that vicious cycle? 

“Master,” Anakin wishes now that he was better at sending comfort through the force, but only his words will suffice. He’s afraid his words are neither elegant nor comforting. “I do not blame you. I have brushed closer to the Dark Side than I wanted to admit. I have disregarded your teachings.”

Obi-Wan didn’t nod, didn’t look towards him. The only clue that he was suffering was the temor of a hand, and Anakin wasn’t sure quite what to say to stop the movement. Instead, he brought up another subject. 

“Uh, Padme’s...uh...we’re...expecting.”

“A child, I suppose?” Obi-Wan’s brow goes up and Anakin can’t help but roll his eyes. 

“No Master, a new part for C3PO.” 

“Yes, while you are on nap duty, C3PO does need an upgrade.” The banter is familiar, but it’s tense on Obi-Wan’s part. 

“Master.” Anakin sounds desperate, he knows. He knows he shouldn’t endanger Obi-Wan’s life. But he can’t imagine a world without him in it. He’s never been more alone in the force, especially not when he’s right next to someone. He feels like a child again, he feels like he did on the desert plains of Tatooine. Holding on for one last time, trying to force as much more as he could. Maybe he’s selfish, but the thought of losing Obi-Wan scares him. He can get better, he’ll learn control, but he cannot lose Obi-Wan. Weakness overtakes him, and he pleads. 

“Please, don’t leave me.”

Obi-Wan’s face turns, and Anakin can see the turbulence of his emotions. But the perfect Jedi is still there. “It is a master’s duty to protect their padawan. I must protect you from the dark side.”

“You can’t leave me!” Anakin wants to reach out, to be grounded by the sureness of Obi-Wan’s still figure. But he cannot, he still fears his power, he can feel himself on the verge of a dark, dark ocean, and the waves are crashing upon his feet, lapping against his skin.“I have so much to learn!” 

“No Anakin, you have much _to teach._ To teach your child. The ways of the Jedi, and maybe you’ll do it better than I did.”

Anakin felt his arm reach out, and knew that in a flash, he would be force-choking Obi-Wan to stay. The waves are now drenching him. He’s powerless against their current. He’s going to hurt Obi-Wan. In desperation, he called out to the light side of the force. 

It echoed in return. _Did anyone hear his cries?_

The side he feared so much did, and Anakin felt his other hand reach for his saber. Another wave crashing over his body, water filling his lungs. And isn’t that poetic? The dark side, once consumed by lava, now swallows him up in the depths of seas Anakin has almost drown in before, the feeling is all too familiar and encompassing. 

The only remnants of him, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, a beacon of light to those without hope, sees the frightened look on Obi-Wan’s face, disbelief that the prophecy was coming true. 

_It couldn’t be. Anakin wouldn’t let it be._

Kit Fisto was running towards him, lightsaber already drawn. Obi-Wan had his hand on his belt, but seemed hesitant to do anything. 

“I’m sorry.” Anakin whispers, throwing his arm out and pushing his Master in the path of Kit Fisto. 

_Let go,_ It whispers, and Anakin finally does. 

The Force envelops him. No longer is he Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One. He is one with the force. 

“You are my brother! I love you!” Obi-Wan is shouting, fighting the arms of Master Fisto, dropping to his knees, clutching the robe on the ground, the only evidence that Anakin was ever there. 

From his place as a Force ghost, Anakin whispers apologies Obi-Wan can’t hear.

_I loved you so much, I had to protect you, to let it take me instead._

_I am the Chosen one. It was my duty as a Jedi to die for another, to protect life at all costs. There was no one else I’d rather die for, brother._

**Author's Note:**

> So this was gonna be a short fic about Anakin not going to the dark side...I accomplished the goal of him not going to the dark side??? But I was listening to sad music and then Eylle9 inspired me and it...went awry. (seriously guys, I’m actually very sorry, this was supposed to be a what if about Anakin going to the Council, not whatever brand of evil this became.)
> 
> I feel like I shouldn’t give out my internet address, bc someone is gonna do the internet equivalent of beating me up in an alleyway, but hey, I’ve never been known for making the best decisions.[Here’s my Tumblr!](http://crazyinfj.tumblr.com/)
> 
> My amazing beta:[Eylle9’s Tumblr!](https://tumblr.com/blog/eylle9)  
> Her note: I feel like I shouldn’t have convinced crazyinfj to watch Star Wars movies, I’m sorry for the angst.
> 
> Crazyinfj: *cackles evilly (and then cries)*


End file.
